System and Method for Collecting, Mixing, and Pouring of Materials

ABSTRACT

An apparatus is formed from a sheet of substantially rectangular material in which a seam is formed joining two sides, thus forming an envelope having a bottom, one sealed end, an open top, and one open side. The open top has an edge folded and seamed into a series of handles extending around an entire perimeter of the open top.

PRIORITY CLAIM

The present application claims priority as follows:

Filing date of Application Application to application to claiming Basisof which priority which priority priority priority claim is claimed isclaimed This 35 U.S.C. 119 U.S. Pat. No. 61/647,883 May 16, 2012application

Each application above to which priority is claimed is incorporatedherein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND

Yardwork/landscaping involves the collection and transport of debrissuch as leaves, sticks, compost, clippings, and other material. Typicaltools used to facilitate the collection and transport of these materialsinclude wheelbarrows and tarps.

Construction often involves the mixing and pouring of bagged concreteand cementitious products, or collection and movement of waste ordebris. Bagged concrete is an inexpensive product and is often used insmall quantities of 1-12 bags at a time. Small batches of concrete arecommonly bought as dry aggregate in a bag from a hardware orconstruction supply store. Bagged concrete comes in 60 and 80 pound bagsand requires mixing with water. In its dry state, it is dry and dusty.When mixed with water concrete's viscosity can vary but it is generallyrunny. The mixing process is typically messy and concrete has thetendency to stain clothes, tools and object it contacts. The mixingprocess also often involves specialized tools and devices that are notreadily adapted to other purposes.

Most bagged concrete is mixed either by hand in a reservoir (bucket,wheelbarrow, tub) or in an electric mixer. Manual mixing can be slow,strenuous, and sloppy as the dry powder and water are mixed with ashovel or hand implement. After mixing, the slurry is then shoveled orpoured from the mixing reservoir to the area of use. When an electricmixer is used, the process is less laborious. However, electric mixersare large, heavy and can be cumbersome to maneuver for pouring. Inaddition, they are also more expensive than may be warranted by asmaller project.

There are methods of mixing concrete that involve using a flat sheet ortarp to combine the dry and wet ingredients. This method involves two ormore people holding up corners of the sheet to contain the mixture andrhythmically tossing it back and forth to combine. The finished mixtureis then carried in the sheet to the desired destination and poured likewater would be poured from a bag. This sheet method makes concretemixing faster than traditional manual methods. Rather than stirring themix like one would make dough with a spoon, the mix is folded on top ofitself by moving the reservoir that contains it. The flexible nature ofthe reservoir not only aids in quick mixing but also facilitates easiertransport and pouring post-mix. When stored, the sheet can be folded andmade much more compact than a rigid reservoir. Traditionally, the sheetmethod involves a flat, square or rectangular piece of fabric or tarp.In order for this fabric to hold a liquid, it must be lifted at thecorners in order to create a reservoir. In order to mix, the users musthold on to the sheet and fold the mixture over on itself. To carry themix, the sheet must be lifted (bearing the weight of the mixture) andtransported. If the reservoir is lost, the mixture will spill out. Ifthe user loses grip on the fabric, mixing and carrying is impossible.

A variety of handles have been designed to increase the grip on thefabric. Many of these involve a plastic or webbed handle fastened to thesheet. Improving the handle design can also improve the integrity of thereservoir, but built-in reservoirs have also been employed to containthe mixture without any action needed by the user. While a plastic orwebbed handle can help grip the fabric, they may be difficult andexpensive to bond to the fabric. Rigid or formed reservoirs built in tothe fabric of the mixer also incur an increased complexity and cost.

Crete Sheet is a tool for mixing concrete made from a flexible membrane.Four handles are added to a square sheet in order to increase the gripon the material. This sheet method requires all four corners to belifted simultaneously in order to create a reservoir. While mixing,carrying or pouring, the reservoir can be lost causing the mixture tospill out. Cost is higher than necessary, in part because the productionmethod and materials are less common and thus more expensive.

Prior sheet or mat-based mixing techniques include:

“Mix it Quik” (http://www.mixitquik.com/product/html).

U.S. Pat. No. 5,743,636 “Mixing mat for concrete”

U.S. Pat. No. 6,523,989 “Flowable material container and mixing mat”

U.S. Pat. No. 6,254,265 “Method and apparatus for mixing materials”

U.S. Pat. No. 7,066,638 “Flexible mixing mat and method of use”

United States Patent Application Publication US20060245297 “Portablemixing sheet with handles”

United States Patent Application Publication US20090179446 “Folding Quikmat catch all apparatus”.

Herein described is an apparatus that may be utilized for multiplepurposes including collection and transport of yard or lightconstruction debris, and the mixing of small batches of concrete by oneor two people.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

In the drawings, the same reference numbers and acronyms identifyelements or acts with the same or similar functionality for ease ofunderstanding and convenience. To easily identify the discussion of anyparticular element or act, the most significant digit or digits in areference number refer to the figure number in which that element isfirst introduced.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate views of a collection/mixing apparatus embodimentas constructed in concordance with one embodiment.

FIG. 4 illustrates a method of constructing an apparatus embodiment froma single flexible sheet of material.

FIG. 5 depicts and describes both one and two person use of anembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 6 depicts an alternate embodiment comprising a wave stitch to forma line of pockets.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Preliminaries

References to “one embodiment” or “an embodiment” do not necessarilyrefer to the same embodiment, although they may. Unless the contextclearly requires otherwise, throughout the description and the claims,the words “comprise,” “comprising,” and the like are to be construed inan inclusive sense as opposed to an exclusive or exhaustive sense; thatis to say, in the sense of “including, but not limited to.” Words usingthe singular or plural number also include the plural or singular numberrespectively, unless expressly limited to a single one or multiple ones.Additionally, the words “herein,” “above,” “below” and words of similarimport, when used in this application, refer to this application as awhole and not to any particular portions of this application. When theclaims use the word “or” in reference to a list of two or more items,that word covers all of the following interpretations of the word: anyof the items in the list, all of the items in the list and anycombination of the items in the list, unless expressly limited to one orthe other.

Overview

A time and labor saving apparatus is described for use by the generalconsumer (homeowner) as well as the construction tradesmen orcontractor. The apparatus may reduce the amount of time and effortinvolved in both collecting and transporting yard or light constructiondebris, and the mixing of a cement product, specifically baggedconcrete. In one example usage scenario, the apparatus allows for twopeople to use one tool to mix and pour a 60 pound bag of concrete inless than 1 minute.

Several elements are combined cooperatively to yield a multifunctionalapparatus that is useful and convenient for material collection,transport, and mixing of cement materials. Shape, style, handleplacement, and handle formation are all simultaneously adapted into aunique configuration involving an envelope formed from a single a sheetof material (3 sided or more) that is folded and bonded on at least twosides, with at least one side remaining open.

Handles are formed from the mat/sheet material itself, into shapes thatresemble in form, size, and function, pockets made from material (3sided or more) folded and bonded along at least two sides with at leastone side remaining open to accept the user's hand. Thus both shape,size, and manner of forming the handles diverges from prior approachesutilized for collection tarps or mixing mats. Furthermore, a continuousrow of handles may be formed around any or all of the open sides of theenvelope. Thus, in addition to divergence in shape, size, and manner offorming the handles, a number and placement of the handles may also (insome cases, drastically) diverge from prior approaches of most similarapplication. In yet a further divergence from prior techniques ofsimilar application, bonding/fastening is applied to the sheet itself inorder the alter the formed shape, and to constrain the openness, with acompound and unexpected effect on handle placement and position.

The cooperative handle and sheet configuration also results in theemergence of another an unexpected property. Specifically, a smoothadaptation and transition from a mixing (or collection) configuration toa pouring/disgorging configuration emerges. In a still furtherdivergence from prior approaches, at least some of the handles are codedto facilitate the transition from collection/mixing topouring/disgorging configurations.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In one embodiment the apparatus is formed from a rectangle oflightweight sheet material preferably less than 5 oz per square yardand/or less than 7 mils in thickness. The unassembled dimensions arepreferably less than 6′ by 8′. These are of course the dimensions foronly one of many possible sizes and thicknesses. The sheet is folded inhalf along its longest dimension, forming a fold axis, andstitched/bonded along one distal end of the fold axis. Leading edges ofeach of the sides of the other distal end of the fold axis are foldedover on themselves, and stitched/bonded in a substantially triangularpattern to form a row of handles. These handles form pockets that acceptthe forefingers of the user's hands.

FIGS. 1-3 illustrate views of a collection/mixing apparatus asconstructed in concordance with one embodiment. The device comprises asheet 102 into which integrated handles 104 are formed. The device isfurther formed and secured into an envelope configuration (FIG. 2).

Prior to being formed into the apparatus, the sheet is substantiallyrectangular, meaning it comprises two pairs of sides each pair of sidescomprising two sides parallel to one another. A square is a special caseof a rectangle. A sheet of material with rounded corners is stillsubstantially rectangular. An example of a rectangular sheet is shown inFIG. 1.

Two sides of the sheet (two lateral sides 110) are folded over betweenthree and six inches each, and preferably about 4 inches each, and acontinuous substantially triangular seam 112 is formed joining eachfolded edge to the sheet. This creates a line of pockets extending theentire length of each of the sides 110. The drawings illustrate theformation of four pockets per side; in one preferred mode, there arefive pockets per side, for a total of ten. While this number of pockets(sometimes drastically) exceeds the number of handles used in priorapproaches, there is unexpected utility that emerges once the shape ofthe apparatus is compounded by further modification.

In a different embodiment, the seam forming the pockets is notsubstantially triangular. Instead, the seam is formed as a smooth wavepattern, for example as a “sine” wave or something of similar periodicnature. A “wave” pattern is one that flows continuously and does nothave sharp angles (e.g., see FIG. 6).

In this partially-formed state, the apparatus is a sheet of materialhaving two edges each folded and stitched to the sheet to form twoseparate lines of handholds along two edges. One of ordinary skill inthe art might find it disadvantageous to perform such extensivestitching in a complex pattern involving angled lines, to create not onebut two rows of continuous pockets in locations they would not seemuseful. However, the lines of unusually formed pockets may, withadditional modification to the form of the sheet, emerge with unexpectedutility.

A seam is “substantially triangular” if the seam forms repeatedtriangular peaks, even if the seam also includes some straight runs ofstitches parallel to the edges of the sheet (e.g., a “clipped” trianglewith flattened tops or bottoms, such as the illustrated pattern, isstill substantially triangular). When the sides of the sheet are drawnup using the handles, the two edges with the triangular stitching becomethe “top edges” or “top perimeter” 114.

The terms “handhold”, “handles”, and “pockets” are all used hereininterchangeably, to refer to the structures formed by the rectangularstitching along the top edges.

The sheet is next folded down a middle axis (it can be either a long orshort axis) and a seam 106 is formed joining the two sides 110 of thefolded sheet together, thus forming an envelope having an open “top” 108and one open side 116. This unusual approach, which seals one side fromfurther use to insert or extract material, may nonetheless be utilizedadvantageously as will be described. Herein, the “top” of 108 the formedapparatus refers to an opening formed when the sheet is laid on theground and the sides drawn upwards (against gravity) using the handles104. The open side 116 is the side (in addition to the top 108) thatremains unseamed and open to material being added or removed to theenvelope while the handles 104 are drawn up.

Once constructed, the apparatus has a three dimensional form thatresembles an open-ended envelope with a top perimeter 114 lined withhandles 104. The envelope may be filled with materials for mixing orhauling and may be operated by either one or two people. Instructionsfor one person operation may be described in instructions which mayprinted on the sheet 102.

A method of construction of an embodiment of the mixing/haulingapparatus in illustrated in FIG. 4. At (1) a sheet of for exampleplastic (or, in some embodiments, heavy canvas) may be dimensioned forinstance at 48×70 inches. At (2)-(4) two sides are folded over about 4inches each, and sewn at the corners. The unusual clipped triangularstitching pattern is then applied down the entire length of both sides.The sheet is then folded in half and stitched all the way up one endjoining two of the folded sides together. At (5) an optional seam may beapplied at the bottom corner of the sealed end, which reduces theinterior volume of the apparatus. Although it is counterintuitive toreduce the volume of a device that will be used to collect/mixmaterials, this turns out to make it easier to remove/pour certainmaterials from the device, such as wet cement. Not all embodiments willinclude this volume-limiting extra seam.

FIG. 5 illustrates examples of one and two person utilization of theapparatus to mix concrete. In a one-person operation scenario, theapparatus is set on the ground or other work surface so that the top 108is open, creating an open envelope. Product is placed inside the openenvelope and, for mixing or hauling, and the primary handles 104 aregathered. Water for mixing may then be added to dry materials inside theenvelope. Out of a plurality of handles, four are chosen and split intopairs. In one embodiment these four are specially identified as color orletter coded handles. One pair for one side of the envelope are drawntogether to be held in one hand. In the same manner, the handle pair onthe other side are drawn together and held by a second hand. The choiceof particular handle pairs will vary according to the people using theapparatus. In this configuration the spout remains unformed and theapparatus forms a barrier to keep materials from flowing out of theenvelope.

Material inside the envelope may be mixed with water by alternatelylifting and lowering opposing paired handles. Bearing the majority ofthe weight of the internal load is avoided by lifting only a fraction ofa side with each alternating lift. To disgorge the load, the handleparing configuration is altered. Handles are paired so that a spout isformed. A back handle pair may be lifted, pivoting the sheet, while afront handle pair is used to guide the contents with the spout todesired location. Alternatively one of the rear handles is used in placeof the handle pair to lift back edge and empty out the contents.

Larger batches can be mixed or hauled by two people by positioning oneperson on each side of the sheet. The sheet is unfolded and placed onthe ground with the long fold on the bottom and the handled edges lyingon either side to create a pocket. A load is placed inside the pocket.For example, for mixing a bag of concrete may be emptied into the pocketand an appropriate amount of water added depending on the desired mixconsistency. Each person alternatively lifts their sides of the device,providing a folding action to mix the materials. Once a desiredconsistency is achieved, each person continues to hold their currenthandle configuration. The completed mix can then be hauled within thesheet. To disgorge the contents each person lifts a respective pair ofback handles and draws a respective pair of front handles together toform a spout and direct the contents to a desired location. Ifdesirable, one person may lift the back handles while one person usesthe front handles to guide pouring.

What is claimed is:
 1. An apparatus comprising: a sheet of substantiallyrectangular material comprising a seam joining two sides, thus formingan envelope having a bottom, one sealed end, an open top, and one openend; the open top having a perimeter, the perimeter of the open topfolded and seamed to form a series of handles extending around theentire perimeter.
 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the handles areformed using a substantially triangular seam around the perimeter of theopen top.
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein the substantiallytriangular seam is a clipped triangular pattern.
 4. The apparatus ofclaim 1, wherein the handles are formed using a wave seam around theperimeter of the open top.
 5. The apparatus of claim 1, the sheet madeof flexible plastic material.
 6. The apparatus of claim 1, comprising atotal of ten handles.
 7. The apparatus of claim 1, further comprising avolume-limiting seam across a corner of the sealed end and the bottom.8. A method comprising: folding over between three and six inches ofmaterial from each of two edges of a rectangular sheet of plastic, andstitching each of the folded material to the sheet using a continuousseam along each of the two edges, thus forming a series of handlesextending the entire length of each of the two edges; and folding thesheet in half and seaming two ends of the two edges together on oneside, thus forming the sheet into an envelope having an enclosed bottom,an open top, one open end, and one sealed end.
 9. The method of claim 8,wherein the continuous seam is a substantially triangular pattern. 10.The method of claim 9, wherein the continuous seam is a clippedtriangular pattern.
 11. The method of claim 8, wherein the continuousseam is a wave pattern.
 12. The method of claim 8, wherein thecontinuous seam forms a total of ten handles.
 13. The method of claim 8,further comprising including a volume-limiting seam across a corner ofthe sealed end and the bottom.
 14. A material collection and mixingapparatus comprising: a sheet of substantially rectangular plasticcomprising a seam joining two sides, thus forming an envelope having abottom, one sealed end, an open top, and one open end; the open tophaving a perimeter, the perimeter of the open top folded and seamed toform a series of ten substantially triangular handles extending aroundthe entire perimeter.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, further comprisinga volume-limiting seam across a corner of the sealed end and the bottom.